The present invention relates to hinge structures and, more particularly, to a double-pivot door hinge that allows an appliance door, such as for a refrigerator or a microwave oven, to be opened to a 180-degree position without causing the door to contact a flush mounted wall such as an abutting kitchen cabinet.
In conventional appliance door hinges, the door is hingedly secured to the front corner of the cabinet of the appliance. When the door is opened, it normally extends beyond the side of the cabinet by an amount equal to the thickness of the door. In certain places in a room where the appliance, such as a refrigerator, is placed, a wall of the room may be abutting against the side wall of the refrigerator. Such a placement makes it impossible for the door to be opened to a full 90-degree position. More particularly, when the cabinetry of the kitchen comes flush with the forward side edge of the door, the door cannot be opened 180 degrees. Such interference problems can be corrected by a double-pivot hinge arrangement.
Double-pivot hinge arrangements for refrigerators are well-known and one such arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,867.839 of H. D. Squire. The hinge arrangement of the '839 patent provides a first pivot point about which the door is swung from its closed to its 90-degree position, and then the hinge arrangement shifts to a second pivot point, allowing the door to be swung from its 90-degree position to its fully-opened 180-degree position, complete movement of the door from its closed to its fully opened position is accomplished without any interference with the flush mounted cabinetry of the kitchen.
The hinge arrangement of the '839 patent allows the door to be moved from its closed position by applying a substantially constant force. Such a constant force may not take into account that the movement should be hindered somewhat, especially when the door approaches its fully-opened position; otherwise, the door may encounter an unforeseen obstruction or the hinge may be moved past its designed position. It is desired that a hinge arrangement be provided that allows the door to be freely moved from its closed to its 90-degree position, but that the movement of the door from the 90-degree to the 180-degree position be hindered and require a deliberate force to overcome such hindrance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a double-pivot hinge assembly requiring a first force to cause movement of the related door from its closed to its 90-degree position, and then a second and deliberate force to move the door from its 90-degree position to its fully-opened 180-degree position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a double-pivot hinge structure which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble in light of the highly cost-competitive nature of the domestic appliance industry.